'Classic no-compromise Ted' fails to endorse Trump, infuriates Republicans
Other speakers, like Newt Gingrich and Marco Rubio, try to promote party unity amid convention tension
Judging by the loud showering of boos that filled the rafters of Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena, one might have thought Hillary Clinton had unexpectedly dropped in at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday evening.
Instead, the Republican delegates' contempt was directed at one of their own: Texas Senator Ted Cruz.
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Fellow party members initially gave Cruz a raucous ovation when he took the stage, but became infuriated after he failed to endorse his onetime presidential nominee rival in a speech that, except for the outset, didn't even mention Trump.
Cruz's appearance cast a shadow over the rest of the evening and sucked the energy out of the room ahead of the appearance by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, an unabashed Trump supporter who heaped praise on the man who will oppose presumptive Democratic nominee Clinton for president.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, Trump's vice-presidential candidate and the keynote speaker Wednesday evening, somewhat revived the mood.
"You have nominated a man for president who never quits," Pence said. "Until now, he's had to do it all by himself against all odds, but this week, with this united party, he's got backup."
But there was little doubt that Cruz's failure to officially endorse Trump ensured the Texas senator would be the hot topic of the night, and for days to come.
Before Cruz's speech — which reportedly had been carefully screened by Trump campaign officials — Paul Manafort, Trump's top campaign adviser, said it would be clear the senator would be supporting Trump, and the address would at least "suggest" he is backing the nominee.
Congratulated Trump
But the Trump talk by Cruz was limited to the start of his speech. "I congratulate Donald Trump on winning the nomination last night," the senator said.
Wow, Ted Cruz got booed off the stage, didn't honor the pledge! I saw his speech two hours early but let him speak anyway. No big deal!
—@realDonaldTrumpToward the end of the address, which focused on themes such as freedom and the Constitution, Cruz seemed to be leaning toward a Trump endorsement when he pleaded with Republicans "not to stay home in November."
But he never mentioned Trump by name, saying only: "Vote your conscience, vote for candidates up and down the ticket who you trust to defend our freedom and to be faithful to the Constitution."
Delegates immediately stood up and shouted down Cruz, who left the stage to unrelenting boos.
Gingrich, who had earlier told Fox News it would be a "betrayal" if Cruz refused to endorse Trump, attempted some damage control, suggesting Cruz had indeed endorsed Trump. He told the audience that all the senator said was that they should vote with their conscience for anyone who will uphold the Constitution.
And the only candidate who will do that, Gingrich reasoned, is Donald Trump.
While Cruz no doubt endeared himself to the NeverTrumpers, he likely hurt his chances for 2020, even among those who, although not enamoured with Trump, nonetheless believe all Republicans should rally around the party's candidate.
War of words
Anyone who followed the bitter primaries would have good insight into why Cruz failed to pull out the Trump card on stage, as the two engaged in a sometimes vicious war of words on the road to choosing the official party candidate. Trump referred to Cruz as "Lying Ted," and described him as"unhinged" and "desperate."
Cruz, for his part, referred to Trump as a "pathological liar," a "bully" and "amoral." And after Trump retweeted an unflattering picture of Cruz's wife, Heidi, next to a picture of Trump's wife, Melania, Cruz referred to Trump as a "snivelling coward."
After Cruz's speech Wednesday evening, Trump tweeted that his former rival didn't honour the pledge — a possible reference to the candidates' promise that they would back the eventual nominee. Trump said he had seen the speech two hours before Cruz took the stage, "but let him speak anyway."
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who had also challenged Trump for the nomination but later dropped out and endorsed him, told CNN's Dana Bash that Cruz's speech was "awful" and selfish." Former George W. Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer said the speech was an example of "classic no-compromise Ted."
"Stand on principle and alienate those you work with," Fleischer said.
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Alienating fellow Republicans is familiar territory for Cruz, who has drawn the ire of Republican congressmen and senators for his uncompromising style.
Former Republican House Speaker John Boehner referred to Cruz as "Lucifer in the flesh," and said he had "never worked with a more miserable son of a bitch in my life."
Another tepid endorsement
Although Cruz was the overwhelming topic of conversation at the RNC on Wednesday evening, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, another former candidate in the presidential primary, also offered only a tepid endorsement of Trump.
While he did call on Republicans to support Trump and Pence for president and vice-president, rousing the crowd by repeating that "Americans deserve better" than Clinton, his case for Trump boiled down to that one main argument — Trump is better than Clinton.
"So let me be clear: A vote for anyone other than Donald Trump in November is a vote for Hillary Clinton," he said.
Of the three political rivals who had vied for the presidential nomination, it was left, surprisingly, to Florida Senator Marco Rubio to actually present a case for Trump.
Rubio, who Trump dismissively referred to as Little Marco during the primaries, said Trump is committed to cutting taxes, getting the debt under control, fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, and nominating constitutional judges.
"After a long and spirited primary," Rubio said, it's time to come together.
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With files from The Associated Press